Elon Musk's DOGE and the Treasury Infiltration Plan

In a controversial move, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allegedly devised a plan to infiltrate and manipulate the US Treasury's payment systems to target USAID, according to court documents. From the onset of President Donald Trump's administration, DOGE aimed to monitor and potentially halt USAID payments by leveraging access to critical Treasury systems. This plan was revealed through court filings in cases like Alliance for Retired Americans et al v. Bessent et al, which exposed DOGE's deep penetration into the Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS), a key component of the Treasury responsible for managing over $5 trillion in federal payments annually.

Marko Elez, a former engineer at X, Musk's social media company, was reportedly granted extensive access to BFS systems, including the Payment Automation Manager (PAM) and Secure Payment System (SPS). This access was allegedly used to intercept USAID payment files, as outlined in emails between Treasury officials. The plan involved manually reviewing and potentially halting these payments, with the State Department playing a role in the decision-making process.

The infiltration raised alarms within the Treasury, especially after David Lebryk, the acting Treasury secretary, retired abruptly following his refusal to grant DOGE access to these systems. Despite initial resistance, Elez gained unprecedented access, including to the Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), which stores federal funds. This level of access was unusual and concerning to those familiar with Treasury operations.

The situation escalated as DOGE operatives, including Luke Farritor, gained "super administrator" access to USAID's systems, furthering the disruption of the agency's operations. Elez's actions, such as copying USAID files and sharing sensitive information with General Services Administration (GSA) officials, were at the center of legal challenges against the Treasury.

The impact of these actions was significant, leading to the cancellation of 90% of USAID's contracts, which disrupted global nonprofit operations and slowed responses to infectious diseases. The federal judge ruled that the dismantling of USAID likely violated constitutional principles.

President Trump further centralized financial control by signing an executive order to consolidate federal payments within the Treasury, a move seen as consolidating power in the White House. This centralization could signal potential changes in how other agencies operate, raising concerns about the balance of power and adherence to legal statutes.

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